Characteristics_of_Life - What is alive? What Let’s ask...

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What Let’s ask the definitive source for all
Let’s knowledge…Sesame Street. Characteristics of Life
Characteristics All organisms, no matter how different
All
share certain characteristics:
share
1.
2. 3. 4. 5.
5.
6. 7. All living things are composed of cells
All living things are highly organized at both
All
the molecular and cellular levels
the
All living things use energy in a process called
All
metabolism (sum of all chemical processes)
metabolism
All living things maintain stable internal
All
environments
All living things grow
All species of organisms have the ability to
All
reproduce
reproduce
All living things die All living things are composed of
cells
cells All living things include plants, animals and
All bacteria are made of one or more cells.
cells Cells are the smallest unit of life in any
organism and are created of even smaller
cellular bodies called organelles For example in the human body there is
For
an estimated 1x1013 cells.
an All living things are organized at the
molecular and cellular levels
molecular Living things are composed of
Living environmental substances that is
organized in a very highly specific manner
organized Example: in cells, specific cell structures
Example:
carry out particular functions.
carry Because of the level of organization life
Because
exhibits, biologists call life forms
organisms
organisms All living things use energy in a
process called metabolism
process Metabolism is the whole set of chemical reactions that occur in an organism that
supply that organism with energy
supply The Law of Entropy (remember that from
chem.) states that to maintain organization
you need to add energy. The same holds
true in cells. Energy is also a requirement of growth
Energy All living things maintain stable
internal environments
internal All organisms like to maintain
All homeostasis
homeostasis Homeostasis- maintenance of a stabile
maintenance
internal environment
internal This also means the ability to repair things
This that disrupts homeostasis. i.e. blood clots after it is cut
Cells can repair damaged DNA preventing
Cells
future disruptions in cellular homeostasis
future Homeostasis Often times homeostasis means
Often responding to environmental cues that
may help maintain or disrupt homeostasis
may Example: Deer will move toward a water
Example:
source but away from the smell of humans
source Other examples???
Other All living things grow
All Cells have the ability to grow in size and
Cells number
number The growth of an organism is the
The
organism’s development
development Cells grow in number via cell division
Cells
cell Cellular Division- the formation of two cells
from one existing cell The larger the organism the more cells
The that it has
that Why can’t cells just grow larger and make
Why
the organism bigger?
the All species of organisms have the
ability to reproduce
ability All living things have the ability to undergo
All evolve and reproduce
evolve
reproduce Evolution- the changes in life over the span
of earths history
of
Reproduce- the production of a new offspring
Reproduce- the Reproduction con’t
Reproduction What about mules? + = All living things die
All All things die and cease to reproduce and
All provide energy for the organism to
maintain organization
maintain Adaptation
Adaptation Adaptation – an inherited trait that
Adaptation increases an organism’s survival ability in
response to environmental pressures
response Natural selection – if a variation that exists
Natural
in a population increases an organism’s
ability to survive, they will produce more
offspring
offspring Form and Function
Form The form of an organism is often a result
The of adaptations emerging that allow them to
effectively navigate and survive in their
habitat.
habitat. Red-Bellied Toad – camouflage and
Red-Bellied
predator warning
predator Human Femur Can you think of other examples? Energy Flow
Energy Let’s think about something everyone in
Let’s famaliar with…the food chain!
famaliar Secondary
Consumer Producers
Primary
Consumer But where does it all start? ...
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